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A  SABBATH  SCENE. 


WHIT  TIER. 


SABBATH     SCENE. 


By    JOHN     G.     WHITTIEK. 


ILLUSTRATIONS    BY    BAKER,    SMITH,    AND    ANDREW. 


BOSTON: 
JOHN  P.  JEWETT  AND  COMPANY. 

CLEVELAND,    OHIO:   JEWETT,    PROCTOR,   AND   WORTHINGTON. 
LONDON  :  SAMPSON,  LOW,  SON  AND  COMPANY. 

1864. 


A   SABBATH   SCENE. 


A    SABBATH    SCENE,* 


SCARCE  had  the  solemn  Sabbath-bell 
Ceased  quivering  in  the  steeple, 

Scarce  had  .the  parson  to  his  desk 
Walked  stately  through  his  people, 

When  down  the  summer  shaded  street 

A  wasted  female  figure, 
With  dusky  brow  and  naked  feet, 

Came  rushing  wild  and  eager. 
5 

MT7S654 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


She  saw  the  white  spire  through  the  trees, 
She  heard  the  sweet  hymn  swelling ; 

0,  pitying  Christ !    a  refuge  give 
That  poor  one  in  thy  dwelling  ! 

Like  a  scared  fawn  before  the  hounds, 

Right  up  the  aisle  she  glided, 
While  close  behind  her,  whip  in  hand, 

A  lank-haired  hunter  strided. 

7 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


She  raised  a  keen  and  bitter  cry. 
To  Heaven  and  Earth  appealing  :  — 

Were  manhood's  generous  pulses  dead? 
Had  woman's  heart  no  feeling? 


A  score  of  stout  hands  rose  between 

The  hunter  and  the  flying ; 
Age  clinched  his  staff,  and  maiden  eyes 

Flashed  tearful,  yet  defying. 
9 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


"  Who  dares  profane  this  house  and  day  ? " 

Cried  out  the  angry  pastor. 
"  Why,  bless  your  soul,  the  wench  Js  a  slave, 

And  I  ?m  her  lord  and  master ! 


"  I  Ve  law  and  gospel  on  my  side, 

And  who  shall  dare  refuse  me  ?  " 
Down  came  the  parson,  bowing  low, 
"My  good  sir,  pray  excuse  me! 
11 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


"  Of  course  I  know  your  right  divine 
To  own  and  work  and  whip  her ; 
Quick,  deacon,  throw  that  Polyglot 
Before  the  wench,  and  trip  her!" 


Plump  dropped  the  holy  tome,  and  o'er 

Its  sacred  pages  stumbling, 
Bound  hand  and  foot,  a  slave  once  more, 

The  hapless  wretch  lay  trembling. 
13 


A    SABBATH    SCENE 


I  saw  the  parson  tie  the  knots, 
The  while  his  flock  addressing, 

The  Scriptural  claims  of  slavery 
With  text  on  text  impressing. 

'Although/7  said  he,  "on  Sabbath  day, 

All  secular  occupations 
Are  deadly  sins,  we  must  fulfil 
Our  moral  obligations : 
15 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


"  And  this  commends  itself  as  one 

To  every  conscience  tender  ; 
As  Paul  sent  back  Onesimus, 

My  Christian  friends,  we  send  her !  " 


Shriek  rose  on  shriek,  —  the  Sabbath  air 
Her  wild  cries  tore  asunder; 

I  listened,  with  hushed  breath,  to  hear 

God  answering  with  his  thunder! 

17 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


All  still !  —  the  very  altar's  cloth 
Had  smothered  down  her  shrieking, 

And,  dumb,  she  turned  from  face  to  face, 
For  human  pity  seeking ! 

I  saw  her  dragged  along  the  aisle, 
Her  shackles  harshly  clanking  ; 

I  heard  the  parson,  over  all, 
The  Lord  devoutly  thanking ! 
19 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


My  brain  took  fire  :    "  Is  this/7  I  cried, 
"  The  end  of  prayer  and  preaching  ? 

Then  down  with  pulpit,  down  with  priest, 
And  give  us  Nature's  teaching ! 


"  Foul  shame  and  scorn  be  on  ye  all 

Who  turn  the  good  to  evil, 
And  steal  the  Bible  from  the  Lord, 
To  give  it  to  the  Devil! 
21 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


"  Than  garbled  text  or  parchment  law 

I  own  a  statute  higher ; 
And  God  is  true,  though  every  book 
And  every  man  7s  a  liar ! " 


Just  then  I  felt  the  deacon's  hand 
In  wrath  my  coat-tail  seize  on ; 

I  heard  the  priest  cry  "  Infidel ! " 
The  lawyer  mutter,  "  Treason  !  " 
23 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


I  started  up,  —  where  now  were  church, 
Slave,  master,  priest,  and  people? 

I  only  heard  the  supper-bell, 
Instead  of  clanging  steeple. 


But,  on  the  open  window's  sill, 

O'er  which  the  white  blooms  drifted, 

The  pages  of  a  good  old  Book 
The  wind  of  summer  lifted. 
25 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


And  flower  and  vine,  like  angel  wings 

Around  the  Holy  Mother, 
Waved  softly  there,  as  if  God's  truth 

And  Mercy  kissed  each  other. 

And  freely  from  the  cherry-bough 
Above  the  casement  swinging, 

With  golden  bosom  to  the  sun, 
The  oriole  was  singing. 

27 


A    SABBATH    SCENE. 


As  bird  and  flower  made  plain  of  old 

The  lesson  of  the  Teacher, 
So  now  I  heard  the  written  Word 

Interpreted  by  Nature! 

For  to  my  ear  methought  the  breeze 
Bore  Freedom's  blessed  word  on  ; 

THUS  SAITH  THE  LORD  :  BREAK  EVERY  YOKE, 
UNDO  THE  HEAVY  BURDEN ! 

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M17965* 


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